Sudan military plane crashes killing two crew : SAF

September 21, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese army Friday said two of its pilots were killed in a military training plane crash north of Khartoum, the second of its kind in few days.

In a press release seen by Sudan Tribune on Friday, Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) spokesperson Ahmed Khalifa al-Shami said: “a sudden technical failure caused the crash of a military training K8 helicopter at Al-Kudab area north of Omdurman after taking off from Wadi Sidna Air Base in a night training flight”.

“The incident resulted in the death of its crew consisting of two officers, Major pilot Khalid Abdallah Abdel-Rahim and captain pilot Jassim Ali Khojaly” read the press release.

It is noteworthy that a military plane belonging to the SAF on Monday crashed in Nyala airport, South Darfur State injuring 15 people on board.

Sudan’s air force fleet of Russian-made planes and helicopters has suffered a number of losses in recent years, with the military frequently blaming technical problems.

In June 2017, a military plane crashed on in the Northern State, killing all four crew members on board.

In October 2016, a Bo 360 helicopter crashed in Um Hani area, White Nile State, 105 kilometres south of Khartoum killing the pilot and injuring two crew members.

An Antonov 26 fighter jet in April 2016 crashed while landing at the airport in El Obied, the capital of North Kordofan state, killing all five crew members on board.

Also, 32 people were killed in August 2012 when their Antonov AN-26 crashed in Talodi, South Kordofan’s third-largest town.